Washing-machine



(No Model.)

D. M. FELTS.

WASHING MACHINE.

No. 425,127. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

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ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES APATENT OFFICE..

DANIEL M. FELTS, OF SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,127, dated April 8,`1890. Application filed November 12, 1887. Serial NoI 254,962. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL MARRION FEL'rs, of Spartanburg, in the countyof Spartanburg and State of South Carolina, have invented a new andImproved VashingdVIachine, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improvedwashing-machine in which the impurities once Washed out ofA the cloth-ving are prevented from returning.'

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of certainparts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fullydescribed hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvement with the top cover removed.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on the line 0c:n of Fig. 8. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the same on the liney y of Fig. 2. Fig. 1i is an enlarged sectional elevation of part of myimprovement, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation of thewaterinlet funnel.

My improved Washing-machine is provided with a boiler A of suitable sizeand form, and closed on top by a removable cover B, having a funnel O,through which Water can be poured into the boiler A. In the ends of theboiler A and the cover Bis mounted to rotate a shaft D, provided on oneend with a crankarm E, or other suitable means for turning said shaft D.On the shaft D is secured a perforated cylinder F, which is open at eachend and supports a larger cylinder G, provided with perforations in itsrim, and with a hinged lid H, which can be closed and fastened bysuitable means. The cylinder G contains the clothing to be washed, andsaid clothing is introduced into the cylinder through the hinged coveror lid H when the lid B of the boiler A is taken off.

The perforated cylinder F projects slightly beyond the ends of thecylinder G, and is pro-` vided at each outer end with a iiange F', whichopens into a downwardly-extending channel I, formed at each end of theboiler A.

their upper ends and opening into the compartment J. Between the ends J2is formed in the boiler A a space L, in which is formed an outlet N,closed by a plug and serving to let the water run out of-the boilerA.Afunnel O is held on the outside of the boiler A,

and leads into the space or the compartment L for the purpose ofintroducing water into the boiler A. In the bottom of the'funnel O is apivoted valve P, connected with a rod Q,

vextending upward and through the funnel,

and serving forraising the said valve to admit the water to thecompartment L from the funnel O. The upper end of the rod Q is guided ina slotted cross-piece R, secured to the funnel O, and is heldin placebya spring S, or other suitable device, to prevent the valve P fromopening accidentally. A set-screw T, screwing into the funnel O andagainst the bottom of the valve P, may also be used for opening thevalve P, instead of the rod Q.

The cylinder F is provided on its rim with longitudinal ribs orpartitions, and similar ribs or partitions G are formed on the interiorof the rim of the clothing-cylinder G. The boiler A is provided withsuitable handles for moving it about.

The operation is as follows: A tubful of strong suds is made, in Whichthe White clothes 'which are least soiled are steeped a short time andthen wrung out, but `not too dry. Into the open boiler A a sufficientquantity of said suds is poured to-cover the tops of the compartmentsJ'. The boilerA is then placed on a lire in a stove or furnace, and thenthe cylinder G is placed in position in the boiler A.. The clothes to bcwashed have been loosely folded the length of the cylinder G, filling itto about two-thirds or not more than three-fourths of its capacity. Thelid I-I is then closed and the cover B is secured to the boiler A. Thewater from the space Lpasses through the valves K into the compartmentsIOO J and circulates through the washing-niacin11e in the followingmanner. By means oi the heat from the lire below, the water is eX pandedin the compartments J, and then the boiling water and steam find theirescape u pward through the channels I into the perforated cylinder F,and thcnceinto and through the clothes in the cylinder G, which isrotated at the same time by turningI the shaft D by means of the crankE. The water, passing` through the clothes outward and downward, escapesthrough the perforations into the boiler below, carrying with it part ofthe dirt from the clothes in the cylinder G.

Itwill be seen that the impurities contained in the clothes are washedout into the water of the boiler below, there being snilicient spacebetween the surface of the water in the boiler A and the rim of therevolving cylinder G. The impurities from the clothes are carried by thewater and ilow in streams from the cylinder G down the inclines J intothe space L, on the bottom of which said i1npurities settle. It will beseen that in order to prevent the impurities once 7ashed out of theclothes lfrom passing through them again they must remain in the bottomot' the space L. In order to do this, it is necessary that the waterused in the washer should be allowed to cool, except in the compartmentsJ, and in no case must the water in the space L be allowed to boil. Inorder to prevent this boiling` of the water in the space L, I use thefunnel (l, which contains three or four pints of cold water, which ispermitted to tlow into the boiler A from the space L by opening thevalve l).

It is understood that when the shaft I) is rotated the cylinders It andG move with it, and the clothes contained in the cylinder G areconstantly agitated by the rotary motion of the cylinders Fand G, andthe longitudinal ribs, with which the said cylinders F and G areprovided, aid in washing the clothes by lifting and turning them aboutwithout any damage to them by rubbing or tearing. After the clothes havebeen cleaned the operator removes the plug from the vent N and draws ottthe water and impurities settled in the bottom of the space L. The waterin the funnel O is allowed to run freely from it into the boiler A, andthen the vent N is closed, and through the top funnel C is poured enoughclear cold water to fill the boiler A well up its sides and around thecylinder G. The cold water thus introduced causes the boiling in thecompartments .l to cease, and a few turns of the cylinder G partiallyrinses and cools the clothes and permits their removal from the cylinderG without danger of scalding the hands of the operator. The operatorthen takes oit the cover l, removes the washed clothes from the cylinderG, and puts them in a tub, into which nearly all the clean and warmwater is drawn through the vent N. rIhe cylinder Gis then again refilledwith other and dirtier clothes, which have been soaked in stronger suds,and then the operation is continued, as above described, until theentire washing has been completed without taking the boiler from thelire and without much labor.

Having thus `fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- .1. In a was]1i11g-111ael1ine,the combimition,with a boiler, ot an inlet-tunnel fixed in the wall of said boiler, thesaid inlet-funnel pro- .vided with a valve to regulate the llow of waterfrom it,eo1npart1nents formed in the bottom ot' said boiler and havinginclined tops,said compartments being provided with 11p\mrdlyextendingchannels at their outer ends, and valves formed on the inner ends ofsaid compartments and opening inwardly of said compartments,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a washiiig-machine, the combination, with a boiler, of aninlet-funnel fixed in the wall of said boiler, a valve pivoted withinthe tunnel near the bottom thereof, the ver tical rod Q, connected withsaid valve, the slotted guide It in the upper part of the fun nel, andthe spring S, bearing on the rod in Opposition to the guide, snbstantially as shown and described.

DANIEL M. FEI/PS.

\Vitnesscs:

III. L. FAnLnY, (l. C. 'lwrr'rvl

